Page 23 of Lost Lake
“Four going on five.”
“The right age,” she mumbled because there was no point in saying aloud the size could very well fit Lucy.
Porter nodded, expression tight as he looked at the dawning sky. “I heard the mom died here. I can’t comprehend what the child’s dad must be going through. I would totally lose it.”
She didn’t mention Lucy’s father wasn’t in the picture and didn’t even know this child existed, much less that she’d potentially drowned or gone missing. “Is this all you found?”
“For now.”
El’s shock receded, allowing logic to take over. “If she drowned, wouldn’t she be found close to the shoe?”
“Most likely, if she was wearing it. Bodies don’t drift far in lakes like this, no currents or inflow. Assuming she drowned, when her lungs filled, the water weight pulled down, and she would’ve sunk almost straight down from where she disappeared. Of course, there are a lot of factors that couldinfluence her location. This should be treated as a starting point for a search grid rather than a guarantee.”
The thought pressed heavy on El’s chest. If Lucy was in the water, she probably hadn’t floated away. Hadn’t escaped the darkness below.
El tried to control her thoughts, but images flashed in her brain. The slow descent through murky water. Silence enveloping the sweet little girl and swallowing every sound. Reaching the bottom, and the faint sway of weeds brushing against her motionless limbs. Lying there, waiting for the moment the lake would decide to give up what it had taken.
Somewhere below, answers could still be waiting. And maybe something worse. A shiver cut through her, colder than the wind skimming the surface.
Stop. Move on.
She held up the sneaker. “I’ll take this into evidence and let you get back to it.”
Porter nodded grimly, dropped to the dock, and put his fins back on.
She bagged and pocketed the sneaker before turning toward Gabe. Whether she liked it or not, and no matter the pain it might cause him, she needed to ask if this shoe and the bracelet belonged to Lucy.
She crossed the sand and climbed the steps. Several onlookers lingered in the parking lot within hearing distance. Not surprising, but a nuisance. As long as they stayed outside the crime scene, there was nothing she could do about them.
Keeping the evidence in her pockets, she approached Gabe. “Too many people around to talk. Let’s go to my cruiser.”
She didn’t wait for him to ask if Jude could come along, but stepped off, ignoring questions from spectators. Normally, she was careful to project a good image to the public, but if someonecame to gawk at a crime scene hoping to see gore, she didn’t have time for them.
In her vehicle, she waited for Gabe to settle in the passenger seat, then turned to face him.
“What’s going on?” The question shot out like a fired bullet. “What did you find?”
She reached into her pocket for the bracelet and handed the bag to him. “Scout found this near the head of the trail to the woods. Does it belong to Lucy?”
Frowning, he turned the bag in his hands, studying the bracelet carefully. “I’ve never seen her wearing any jewelry. Kenna didn’t have money for such things, but that doesn’t mean it couldn’t be hers.”
“Maybe when we search their house, we’ll find a picture of her wearing it. And of course, we’ll give it to Sierra. It could contain DNA that would link it to Lucy.”
He nodded, but it was reserved. “What did the diver bring up?”
She withdrew the shoe from her pocket.
He gasped.
“Lucy’s?” she asked.
“Yes.” The solemnly spoken word lingered in the car like a bad smell.
He turned the bag in his hand, then held it out to El and pointed at a single star filled with purple. “Lucy always begged me to move to their town because she missed me. So she colored this star. Said it was special and when she looked at it, she’d think about me and not miss me so much.”
“Then you can definitely confirm this belongs to her?” El asked, hating every second of it.
“Unfortunately, yes.” He looked up, moisture wetting his eyes. “Did the diver find any other trace of her?”
